Beneficial effects of a combination of Korean red ginseng and highly active antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients

Abstract

To determine whether Korean red ginseng (KRG) has beneficial effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients administered highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we analyzed the CD4 T-cell count, viral load, and resistance mutations to HAART in 46 individuals. Thirteen patients harbored resistance mutations at baseline. The study population was divided into two groups: specifically, a group treated with a combination of HAART plus KRG (23 patients) and a group treated with HAART alone (23 patients). The annual increase in CD4 T-cell count in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the group treated with HAART alone (P < 0.05). Overall, 21 patients harbored resistance mutations after 3 years of therapy. Following exclusion of 13 patients displaying baseline resistance mutations, 7.1% of patients (1/14) in the combination group and 42.1% (8/19) in the HAART group were identified with resistance mutations. One patient with baseline resistance mutations in the combination group did not display resistance mutations 3 years after HAART therapy. High-level resistance mutations were significantly lower in the combination group than in the group treated with HAART alone. Five patients showed no improvement in viral copy number (26.3% [5/19]) in the combination group and 9 (45.0% [9/20]) showed no improvement in the HAART-only group. Our data support the clinical utility of KRG intake during HAART therapy.

FIG. 1.

Changes in CD4 T-cell counts during HAART. The increase in the CD4 T-cell count was significantly higher in patients treated with HAART plus KRG (n = 23) than in those treated with HAART alone (n = 23) in the third year (P < 0.05).

FIG. 2.

Comparison of the increase in CD4 T-cell according to the presence or absence of previous monotherapy (PM) and KRG treatment. The groups with combination therapy and combination with previous monotherapy showed mildly significant increases in CD4 T cells compared with those in the groups treated with HAART only and HAART with previous monotherapy, respectively (P = 0.096 and 0.089, respectively). In contrast, absence of previous monotherapy did not show significant increase in CD4 T cells compared with the level in the corresponding group.

FIG. 3.

Comparison of the frequency of additional resistance mutations to the class of drugs used in HAART to the baseline in 33 patients without baseline resistance mutations. The frequency of additional resistance mutations analyzed according to KRG intake was significantly lower in the combination group (7.1% [1/14]) than the HAART-alone group (42.1% [8/19]) (P < 0.05).